Curse of the Mask
by p0ke37
Summary: The Hero has succumbed to Jack of Blades' taunts of power and immortality, and put on the mask. First person as Jack himself, to ultimately show the destruction of many parts of Albion. This story tells of how we often sow our own seeds of destruction.
1. Part One

_The Dragon was slain, and yet a tremor ran through the world. Skies darkened, and every man, woman, and child in Albion succumbed to a petrified hush. The Hero and Jack of Blades were one. What chaos and pain they would bring, none could say. Yet, even in the most hopeless of hearts, one thing was certain. Whenever evil rose, there would always be someone to fight it._

-**Fable: The Lost Chapters, evil ending.**

I let out an evil laugh to signify my conquering of this pitiful Hero. I, Jack of Blades, have destroyed my only opponent's will, and the world shall be mine. This time, _nothing_ will stop me, and Albion will BURN!

With this Hero's body I will destroy everything he has once loved, I will see to it that Oakvale will burn for once and for all, and the Guild will suffer.

Ah… that is it. The Guild shall be my first target. And with the Sword of Aeons and the Bow of Skorm at my side, nobody will dare confront the new Jack of Blades!

I used the Hero's guild seal… no, _my_ guild seal… and with a bit of concentration it took mere seconds and I was in the Renowned Guild of Heroes. I stepped out of the Cullis gate, and put a dark hood over my masked face, so that the Guildmaster wouldn't see my true form. I walked by him, to hear him say, "Ah, Hero! You have defeated Jack of Blades and destroyed him once and for all, I hope?"

I looked at him, and my evil red eyes pierced his soul. I heard him mumble pathetically, and like an animal, a scream built up in his throat. I focused my will at him… but not to kill. Suddenly, the Guildmaster's terrified lips were stuck together, and he couldn't mutter a word. I put my forefinger over his lips and growled, "Tsk, tsk." He gave me a look of pure hatred and for this I punched him square in the face. He fell backwards, into the wall, and he nose began to bleed profusely. Using my mastery of will, I focused on healing his nose; I would need the fool sooner or later. At this, I left and continued on m tour of the Guild.

I realized something a few steps away from entering the Dining room of the Guild. I was clothed in pathetic rags, weak leather hides; this was definitely not enough to protect me. Instead of heading into the Dining room, I went into the Shop and the owner of the stall was petrified when he saw me. "I need better armor," said I. His lip quivered, but he replied, "W-w-what kind of armor ye be needing, s-sir?" I looked at the fool, who feared me. Fear was not enough, though. I need him _terrified_. I responded to him, "Give me a set of full dark plate armor."

The shopkeeper nodded with obedience and turned to go get my request, but then some form of insanity urged him to turn around, and ask me if I had the proper amount of gold. When he did this, I willed the room to drop twenty degrees, and when it did, my fists conjured up fire and the shopkeeper whimpered in a corner. I pointed a finger towards the merchandise and growled, "Fetch." He went over and retrieved my item of purchase. I left the shop, but not without pocketing a few of the items for myself. I then continued to the back of the guild, where the four tombs of the "great" heroes were. How disgusting. Only three had been used, and they were tombs of pathetic mortals, not even as powerful as the Hero I have conquered.

In the back of my mind, I felt an anger rise. It screamed at me, it seemed to make me lose control for a second. I grabbed the horns that covered my forehead and used them as leverage to distract whatever it was that had tried to possess me. After this, the voice faded away and I regained total control. But with my regained sense of control brought a renewed feeling of anger. I wasn't angry, I was loathing. And someone would pay for this.

Around me was a guild acolyte that got too close too me. He must have been very brave. From the back of my mind, I pulled out a spell, and in seconds I had the spell I was to use on this morsel. A blast of pure white light came from me, and blinded the acolyte. I grabbed him with my gauntleted hands and grabbed his nose. With unhumanly strength, I twisted. I broke it, but I kept twisting. Suddenly his nose popped off, and blood sprayed from the wound. I grabbed a small dagger and shoved it in the gaping hole where his nose was previously. I twisted the dagger, and it scraped inside at his brain. The acolyte fell, dead.

Now I had the attention of the other members of the guild, and the gaurds. The gaurds came at me, swords raised. I raised my fist, then brought it down and suddenly an explosion of flame shot out in a sphere around me, and in an instant the gaurds were nothing but charred skeletons, which soon too collapsed to dust. After I had acomplished this, a troop of acolytes came at me in a wave. I focused on the very fabric of time, and then there was no time. The world had come to a standstill, and I continued my slaughter until I had killed nearly all of the acolytes and gaurds, and then my will energy was drained. I had pushed this body to the point where a potion would not help. I would have to wait.

With demonic speed I sped towards the map room where the Guildmaster had just come out of his daze, and his lips were no longer locked. I grabbed the Guildmaster by his collar, and whispered in his ear, "_I told you the guild would burn_." His face twisted into a horrific contortion as my Sword of Aeons ran through him to the other side. The life force ebbed out of him, and what you humans would call "strange" happened. The soul of the Guildmaster came out of his lifeless body... and sped towards my masked face. In a second, I had absorbed the Guildmaster's soul. Another was mine. And suddenly, all of the dead bodies produced souls that sped towards me. And I absorbed them all.

After all these souls had become a part of me, I felt a newer power. A power that had been unknown to me before. I felt not only stronger and more agile, but knew more spells, more ways to ultimately make Albion burn.

And once again, I let out a manical cackle. And this time, nobody would stop me.


	2. Part Two

I turned back once, just to survey the damage I had caused to the guild. Once again, it burns. And this time, it shall burn to the ground.

I walked to the statue that pointed nowhere. I noticed Bowerstone to my right. Bowerstone would make a good target. And an easy one. The villagers were unarmed, and the gaurds weren't a big problem. All I would have to do is bend a few of the gaurds will, and then Bowerston would fall. I decided that this was the easiest solution, and I set off to purify Bowerstone by means of fire. I walked straight up to the gate, and one of the gaurds eyed me. "Hey," said he. "You're that Necromancer, aren't ya? Yes, I knew it to be you. Well, listen. I have been told to refuse entry to you, from the lady Gray herself. Find a new town." This little show angered me. "My name is not _Necromancer_..." I said. "My name is _Jack of Blades_!" When the gaurd realized the mask on my face, and that I really was the almighty Jack of Blades, he began to step backwards, but he wasn't fast enough to stop my blade skewering the top half of his skull from the bottom. It was a clean wound, and no doubt the gaurd hadn't even realized he was about to die. I climbed up the ladder to the top of the wall surrounding Bowerstone. I grabbed my Bow of Skorm, and notched an arrow. I sighted a young little brat, he was only about six years of age. Perfect to test my archery skills on. I let the arrow fly, and it pierced the ear, went through the skull, and stopped on the way out.

I raised my voice so that every man, woman, and child in Bowerstone would hear me. "Welcome," I shouted. My voice reverberated inside the people's brains. "I am Jack of Blades! And I am here to welcome you to your doom! Good day!" After my speech I jumped off the ramparts, with the Sword of Aeons in my hand. As I landed, I cleaved a male villager in half. Another dozen villagers were in striking distance, so I destroyed them. With every kill, my mask absorbed more and more and I became more and more powerful. Soon, I would be powerful enough that the spell protecting the town from will would no longer concern me. I continued my slaughter, with sword and bow. At last, the gaurds came 'round. I pulled the bow as far back as I could, with an arrow already in place, and I let fly towards one of the many Bowerstone sworn protectors. My arrow went straight through the chest of one gaurd, and continued through the breast of a young woman, until it finally buried itself in an oak tree, which grew a large crack where the arrow had hit. In the time that I had averted my attention to kill those few, the gaurds of Bowerstone were already upon me. I skewered many of them in half, to see the top half scream in pain as they fell to the ground. Again, their souls were sucked in by my mask.

By now, my power was incredible, I could definitely use my will without regards to the protective barrier of magic. I concentrated, and suddenly a legion of the past slain gaurds rised up from a crevace and joined my cause of the destruction of Bowerstone. The summoned gaurds attacked with demonic fury, killing the oppostition and mainly destracting the gaurds from me as a threat. Using this to my advantage, I summoned a few bandits, which I soon ordered to torch the houses. Soon, all of Bowerstone was in flames, and the scream of many peirced the air. Using my will, I sealed all the doors to the flaming houses, leaving the only exit from a window, in which my bandits were ready to slice to peices. Many stayed in the houses, and were burnt to the ground along with their children. After I had destroyed all of the houses, I ran up to the gate protecting North Bowerstone. As souls were absorbed into my mask, I focused on the door, seeing it blown to a thousand peices. With my iron concentration, soon my vision came true. The door's splinters flew everywhere, and a particularly large fragment landed itself in the chest of a previously unknown attacker.

I ran through the grass of Bowersone North, as gaurds tryed to stab me from left and right. I went up the path to Lady Gray's Mansion. There were twenty gaurds at the foot of the staircase, so I leapt and landed with a kick that destroyed the door. In the main hall there were several more gaurds, I had to do something if I were to make it through. I concentrated, and soon time had halted. I ran through, and stopped a foot away from Lady Gray, who was writing on her desk. I tapped on her shoulder, and soon she turned around in slow motion, and the look of terror was written on her face as I grabbed her by the neck, and crushed her windpipe. Time went back to it's normal speed, and there were soon several horror-ridden gaurds in the doorframe to the bedroom. I turned around, with Lady Gray's soul already a part of me and planned to enflame my enemies.

But suddenly... I lost control of my body. I had a spasmatic attack and I landed on the floor, grinding in an attempt to regain control of my body. _This is not your body, Jack_; a voice inside my head spoke. _This is my body. MINE!_ The gaurds hadn't attacked yet, they looked at me on the floor to see if I would finish myself off. Then suddenly there were more voices, voices of those I had slain, I had killed mercilessly... and then, I felt a spark of fury rise in me, and that is all that took, for soon that spark was a flame, and I had control. Speaking of flames, the entire manor was in flames. I decided that I would have to leave now, or never, and I chose now. I teleported to Barrow Feilds and collapsed a few feet from the cullis gate. I lay there, limp, and drained of energy from the last battle I had fought within myself. I knew that I had to somehow find a way to get the mask off of me. It's curse was more powerful than I had ever planned. "_Ah, but Jack_," said a menacing voice. "_You cannot take off the mask. You planned it that way, remember?_"

And I knew that voice was right. And with that reminder in me, I plotted my next attack. This time, Oakvale and the Barrow Feilds would become acqainted with my wrath.

And with that thought in my mind, I all but forgot about the threat of my mask.


	3. Part Three

_**One Day Later...**_

I lay on top of a rock on a hill overlooking Barrow Feilds. I could see merchants trading, lovers kissing, and a glimpse of Oakvale.The bright sun cast it's rays over the earth, and many basked in it. This whole display disgusted me. While humans choose to chase petty objects and ideals, I sit, planning a way to finish the job I had started many, many years ago. The day I had burnt Oakvale. That day would be coming again soon.

Underneath my hill were two dogs lazily sitting, enjoying the sun. I decided to toy with them, and I made the area around them cloudy and gray, while the rest of the area was bright and sunny. As it started to rain on them, the dogs moved away into a sunnier spot, only to be rained on even more. The dogs began barking at my phenomena, and to punish them further I made it lighting over them. When I finally had enough, I let the cloud dissapear, and with it the rain and lightning. For my schedule today, I would be silencing Barrow Feilds, and with it, all of it's occupants. As soon as it was night, I would attack. And so I waited.

_**Later...**_

I crept up to one of the tents where a merchant was sleeping. I quietly slit his throat, and packed some of his stuff in my bag. I might need it sooner or later. I crawled outside of the tent and suffocated a nearby gaurd. My plans didn't involve a large ruckus. Quite the opposite. I continued creeping around until I had killed all of the gaurds. With this done I set up a magical barrier around the area, to ensure I wouldn't have any unexpected problems from my backside when I decided to leave for Oakvale. I soon set fire to the area, and made sure the water had an acidic effect tonight. The villagers would have a special suprise if they tried to enter the river. I then left on the path for Oakvale, making a final barrier seal.

When I reached Oakvale, again, my plan was secrecy. I dodged in and out of the shadows, avoiding the gaurds attention thw whole time. I hid behind a huge Oak tree as I heard an alarm sound, and many villagers headed towards the gate to Barrow Feilds. They ran up to the gate, and were stopped by my invisible barrier. At this stroke of luck I came out from behind the tree, and cast Multi-Arrow on my bow. I aimed towards the villagers, and my arrows killed them. In a matter of a few shots, they were all dead. I crept back behind the tree and waited for more villagers to pass so I could score some easy kills. None came, so I ran for a bush right next to the weapons shop. I came out, then lockpicked the door and came up with a briliant idea. I torched the shop, and came outside, waiting in the bushes. Soon, more villagers came to stop the fire that would soon devour the shop. When there were enough villagers inside the shop, I cast a barrier around it so that they would be stuck inside, with a rapidly burning shop.

I leapt straight through the window of the item shop, and landed with a roll on the floor. Suprisingly enough, there was a Hero in there, pocketing some of the wares for himself. He turned around, and by reaction pulled his sword from his sheath. He attacked me with his sword, and I countered it with a parry. He tried to hit me down low, but I was too fast for him. After a while a sweat worked up on his brow, and he stepped back and cast lightning at me. I took his blow, knowing well thata simple spell like that wouldn't hurt me. "You fight well," I said. "What is your name?" He replied, "I am known as Deathrbringer! And I shall bring death to you." I simply laughed. "Well, Deathbringer," I spat. "I am sorry to inform you that you brought your death on yourself. You cast lightning at me... let's see how much you enjoy it!" Deathbringer backed up, but soon he was floating in air, being electrocuted by me. His skin paled, and soon his hea fell to the floor. Then, his soul rose. It sped towards me, but then I realized that this was my weakness, I killed too often. I turned around and dove through the window that I had previously smashed through. I rolled into a run, and I ran with Deathbringer's soul gaining close behind me. It gained, inch by inch, and suddenly I was overcame by weariness that I had never felt before. My legs became rubbery, my breathing was hard and heavy, and my sight blurred. I tripped over a vine, and landed on my face. The soul came up to me, and my mask absorbed it.

_"Jack, Jack, Jack. Won't you ever learn? While you are in my body, you might have control of my motor skills, speech, yadda yadda. But you can't control the INVOLUNTARY! You tried to take my soul, make me take your mask, and I did. But now, the curse of the mask is on you! With each kill, this body get's stronger... but so do the seeds to your destruction!"_

"Gah!" I got up from the ground, and my anger consumed me. Without any regard to the voices that were inside my head, or of my plan for stealth, I ran around Oakvale killing all. After my slaughter, I collapsed into the water near the docks. I became unconscious, and the sounds of screams filled my head. I spent the night underwater, the curse of the mask growing heavier upon me.


	4. Part Four

_The masked man was pulled out of the water by a young boy, who thought that he had drowned. Amazed at the survival of a man who had slept underwater, the young boy went to tell his father, who was a trader that had came into Oakvale earlier that morning. His father had been helping the wounded survivors of the raid on Oakvale that had happened last night. When the boy reached his father, the father dismissed his claims, but one of the wounded villagers grew deathly pale. "Did he wear a mask?" asked the villager. "Aye," replied the little boy with a squeak. The wounded man got up and asked the boy to take him to where the man was. They walked on the beach to the spot where the masked man was, and it was just then that the masked man opened his eyes._

A little boy and a ragged villager were standing over me, and the villager was frightened. I focused my attention on the villager. I stared, my eyes of pure hatred looked upon his eyes, therefore his soul. There was a nervous silence, and suddenly the villager started screaming. Another man came and tried to hold the mad villager. I got up and pushed him to the ground. The villager couldn't resist my strength, but he still screamed deliriously. After a while, the villager passed out. There was a crowd of survivors on the beach, who all stepped back when they saw who I was. "You killed them... last night... you killed them, all of them." One of the men grew brave with anger, and jumped at me, weilding an axe. I simply grabbed him by the head in mid-air. He kept trying to attack me, so I flung him elseware. I raised my voice before I spoke.

"People of Oakvale. It is I that destroyed your homes and family. It is I who defeated the gaurds. It is I who set up a barrier on every entrance to Oakvale. Most importantly... it is I, Jack of Blades. The Necromancer you once knew is no more. I have taken over his body, and he now bends to my will. Now, I will say one thing to you, before my anger destroy's you all. You must all leave, and go to the major cities of Albion. You will gather the few Heroes remaining, and you will tell them to come to Hook Coast. Tell them that this is a war. Tell them that they are the only hope for Albion." After I said this they all looked at me and decided what I said was no joke. They set off on the task to find the last Heroes in Albion, and I teleported to Hook Coast. Time would tell all...

_The few witnesses to Jack's speech on the shores of Oakvale traveled the lands, looking for the only hope for Albion. They talked to traders, and other citizens, but few met with luck. It was a year before the Heroes of Albion came to Hook Coast, and by then Jack had grown tired of waiting. Jack had destroyed Hook Coast, and Snowspire City, and Knothole Glade. He torched the forests of Greatwood and Darkwood, he made the rivers and lakes acidic. In a year, Jack had truly ruled over Albion with an iron fist and an evil glare. And all the while, he gained strength and power, and so did the numbers that were inside of his mask._

_PS: Sorry for Short Chapter! Next chapter is the last, with a few new twists, and a great ending! I hope you have enjoyed my fanfic all the way up to now. Review, plz!_


	5. Part Five

_The remaining Heroes of Albion serverd as a last hope of the people. The Heroes and Heroines stood on the eastern side of Albion, and there were one-hundred of the Heroes there. And on the other side was one giant of a man -- Jack of Blades. Jack had grown so powerful on the outside, but no one knew of his external weakness. And now that Jack has had no interference from within himself since over a year, he is confident that the curse of the mask has become dormant._

I looked in front of me, three-hundred bloody souls, waiting to die. There was a lack of words on either side. We didn't need words now, the Heroes were waiting for me to attack. And so I gave them that. I had a flicker of a thought -- yes, all I need is a mere thought and whatever spell I conjure up is done -- and suddenly my body shimmered into invisibility. The Heroes were greatly confused by this, no doubt had they ever seen something so powerful. I teleported behind one Hero that was in the front, next to Thunder. I whispered in his ear, so that only he heard me. "How does it feel, knowing that you have just heard your death?" I taunted. The Hero turned around, a look of horror on his face. I continued doing this to many of the Heroes, causing confusion in the ranks. After a while, I reappered, visible, in front of the line of Heroes. I jumped, and slaughtered one with a lightning bolt well shot, and the other with a flick of my sword. And so, the battle was on.

The tactic of the Heroes was to surround me. When they got to close, I released a blast of pure energy that killed a few, but wounded many. All around I saw men and women drinking will potions, and health potions. That could not be allowed. I bade the potions inside of the bottles to burst out, and they all came to me. I absorbed the energy from the mass of potions, and I grew in strength. The Heroes knew now that this was no mortal they were fighting. Their ranks tightened, and the general fury increased. I fought like a savage, and many succumbed to me and my blade. After a while, the Heroes started to retreat to a hill, they were going to try to snipe me out. I waited until they were all in position at the top of the snow-capped hill, and I shot an arrow. In mid-flight, I willed the arrow to multiply, and by the time the arrows hit the Heroes, I had taken twenty by my first shot.

The great Heroes decided to leap down. Thunder, Briar Rose, Whisper, and even Sythe joined me down here. They were making a ditch effort in a losing battle. They surrounded me, and I had to keep blocking attacks to prevent from getting hit. Whisper stabbed at me with her spear, but I used my sword to knock it out of her hands. She got down on her knees in mercy, but I just finished my move with a clean swipe at the neck. He head flew to the right, and Thunder 's eyes began to glow with hatred. His attacks came much faster now, and Briar Rose and Sythe took much advantage of this. I backflipped over Sythe, and stabbed him in his back. I brought my blade down further, and Sythe fell and turned into green powder that floated away into the wind. Briar Rose grew nervous, and her fatal flaw was when she tryed to cleave at me near my hamstrings. I grabbed her sword in my hand, and crushed it into peices, ignoring the pain that it bought upon me. I kicked Briar in the face, and she flew backwards. I jumped over her, sword in hand, ready to stab out her heart. When my blade was about to cut out her chest, she quickly brought up a spear that stabbed me all the way through my stomach, and came out. I slid down the spear, and my blade severed her heart. I jumped backwards, dodging a great blow that was aimed at me, but Thunder couldn't stop his blade in time and it sliced clean through Briar Rose's arm. Briar coughed up blood, and I charged Thunder, whose blade was stuck in the ground. He abandoned his blade and used his shield to block all of my attacks. He tried to get round to his sword, but I was one step ahead of him. When he grabbed the sword he was blast with pure fire that melted him and his armour instantly.

I looked up at the Heroes on the hill, who had stopped fighting to watch my battle with their only leaders. I cackled, and my cackle was heard throughout the area. I was going to jump up on the hill and finish the last hope for Albion, when suddenly...

The voices inside of me screamed. They had the advantage, many souls were inside of me, including the Heroes I had just slain.

_"Jack!"_ they screamed._ "You didn't heed the warning! This is the day you fall forever!"_

"NO!" I fought. But I was losing. The souls of those I had killed were coming back to me.

_"Remember me, Jack?"_ asked one voice._ "Remember me? It's Deathbringer!"_

I screamed. The Heroes in the hills watched me, unsure of what to do.

_"This body doesn't beling to you, Jack!"_ screamed Necromancer. _"It's MY body!"_

I rolled on the ground, using every ounce of will I had in me.

_"It's no use, Jack. You're too pathetic to win,"_ said Thunder.

I rolled into the icy water. With my heavy platemail, I began to sink. I was at the mercy of the souls inside of my mask. They blasted me out of the water, and I landed with a painful _thump_.

Then, all the voices combined together and screamed at me inside of my mind. And suddenly...

_The mask was thrown off of the body by a pure force. The mask landed in the water, carrying only Jack's soul. Hundreds of people were affected by Jack's evil reign of terror in the form of the true hero._

_Jack of Blades never did die. He waited in the bottom of the Ocean, waiting for a chance at escape, but knowing that it would never come. The curse he had put on himself was absolute._

_Albion was healed. Although the buildings were destroyed, the river's were intoxicated, the people of Albion were there, and they all shared the hard and long journey of repairing the home they lived in._

_Evil never died out, and Jack had left a permanent scar on the land. The legend of the Mask would be told for countless centuries later._

_And so, now our story comes to an end. Even though Jack had seemed like he had absolute power, all he had was an abolute ending. It wasn't one voice that conquered Jack, but the voices of many._

_The moral of the story: You often sow the seeds to your own destruction._


End file.
